Under federal law, employers are allowed to require workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine before they can physically return to work. This is clear from the updated guidance issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Friday.
However, you must take “reasonable accommodation” for workers who refuse to be shot because of a disability, including pregnancy, or for religious reasons the agency said. The decision may mean that unvaccinated employees may have to wear masks or work remotely.
The EEOC rules also gave the green light to companies that offer incentives to encourage employees to vaccinate as long as the perks are “not so substantial are that they are compulsive « .
» A very large incentive could lead to employees feeling pressured to disclose proprietary medical information, « explained the EEOC – without giving concrete examples of illegal sweeteners. </ Grocery manufacturer Bolthouse Farms is giving its vaccinated workers a $ 500 bonus, the Wall Street Journal reported, while retailer Dollar General offers those who can prove they got a shot an additional four hours of wages. </ In the months since coronavirus vaccines became widespread, some workers have been blind to demands from their bosses to be vaccinated.
« It was shocking to me, » Bonnie Jacobson told the Post after she lost her waitress job in Brooklyn in February. « I went through the stages: I am injured, I am shocked – then I got angry. »
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